Businessmen jump at chance to own hotel, bar on lake

by Michelle Watson

Jim Sulentic, a developer from Waterloo, Iowa, has been coming to Clear Lake since he was a kid, so when a rare opportunity presented itself to buy The South Shore Inn and The Landing restaurant, he was ready to take advantage of the opening.

“A hotel and bar on the lake is rare.  We wanted to update the hotel and take the whole business to the next level,” said Sulentic.  “Gary Laabs (former owner) had a great vision for the place and now we’re ready to make a go of it.”

Sulentic will be joined in the venture by his partner, Brent Dahlstrom, also a developer from Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Sulentic and Dahlstrom met in 2011 and bought their first property together.  The pair have worked together on many projects since that time.  Kyle Dehmlow, owner of Whiskey Road restaurant, in Cedar Falls, will also partner with the pair to head-up the restaurant.

The new name for the hotel will be Lakeside Inn and the restaurant/bar will remain The Landing.

“Part of the remodel of the hotel was to double the size of the kitchen, which will speed things up and help us increase volume. There will also be changes to the menu,” said Dehmlow.  “I am excited to have the opportunity to

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come to Clear Lake.  I have heard nothing but great things about the town and I am excited to be a part of the community.”

Besides the complete renovation of the hotel, the parking lot will be expanded and an unused grass area on the lake side will be used as additional space for restaurant guests.  The hotel has 16 rooms and as part of the renovations, each room is wired for individual internet connections and the second floor decks have all been redone.  The exterior of the hotel will also be updated with paint and a new color scheme.

“We had nine, 30-yard dumpsters that hauled away the interior of the hotel,” said Dahlstrom.  “We’re excited to now be taking bookings.”

Another addition to the business is dock space rental.  Both long term and daily rentals will be available.  There will also be plenty of dock space for restaurant guests.  The hotel will also have a pontoon available for guests to rent.

“The DNR has been great to work with to expand our dock,” said Sulentic.

Although the restaurant will only be open seasonally, it will be a hot-spot in the summer featuring live-music on any given night. The hotel will be open year-around.  The hotel will be managed by Kyle’s father, Terry Dehmlow, a retired police officer.

“I recently bought a house in Clear Lake, so in addition to the business, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of everything Clear Lake has to offer,” said Sulentic.

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